Need for Other Approaches, Including Layoffs

Minimizing layoffs and freezing hiring is, respectfully, a poor way to manage a financially-driven restructuring. In a situation such as this, any organization (for profit or not) should consider the necessity of each position de novo and eliminate those that are not important to the continuing mission. Prioritizing current employees over unfilled positions risks the opposite — paying for unnecessary work and failing to pay for necessary work. That may be easier for the executives charged with making the decision, but it is bad for the long-term health of the institution.